


Stormy Seas Calling

by theWickedWitchofFeels



Category: Critical Role (Web Series), Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Beauregard is a Disaster Lesbian Surfer, Eventual Smut, F/F, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I have no plan yall, Modern AU, Yasha is a Mysterious Goth Lesbian, and magic exists, everyone is their original race with one exception, everyone's disasters and they're putting on a play, mermaid au, tags will probably change as it goes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-01-31 20:41:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18599026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theWickedWitchofFeels/pseuds/theWickedWitchofFeels
Summary: Beau rested her head back on the window, tuning out Jester’s prattling about how Molly was Actually The Best And Coolest Ever, watching the rolling storm clouds out at sea, whipping waves up with wind and rain. There was a strange, wild beauty about them. It made Beau long to grab her board and go out to meet them, despite knowing how dangerous it would be.Maybe she was a little wild herself.---The Mighty Nein go to college together, and Jester ropes them all into a production of The Little Mermaid. Beau just really wants to surf, but oh no she caught feelings whatever will she do.





	1. Storm's Beginning

“Oh, Beau, I can’t wait! Don’t tell anyone, but Rai texted me this morning that we’re gonna be doing ‘The Little Mermaid’ first semester. Can you believe it?! The Little Mermaid was my FAVORITE movie as a wee Jester! I’m gonna try out for Ariel!” 

Beau batted at Jester’s long blue tail, which was dangerously close to smacking her in the face from how she was lashing it in excitement as she spoke. “Jester, I love you, but I am this close to duct taping your tail down to the seat.” 

Jester giggled, shifting so that her tail was on her other side, hitting the window instead of Beau. “But aren’t you excited?” 

Beau shrugged noncommittally. “I hear the waves around Soltryce are stellar.” 

“And I’m sure the weed is good too.” Jester snorted. “Stop being such a _surfer dude_ and think!” 

“I am!” Beau sighed. “I can’t believe I let you rope me into this.” 

“Both of us into this,” Fjord said from the front seat. He glanced in his rear view mirror back at them with a mixture of affection and fatigue. It was very well known that Jester had both of her childhood friends wrapped around her little pinky finger. Beau didn’t regret it; Jester was every bit as sweet as the pastries she adored so much, and someone had to protect her from the harshness of the world. Sometimes, though, it landed her in some...unfavorable positions. 

Apparently just as uncomfortable as Beau, Fjord looked back at the road. “Rain’s coming in from the sea,” he noted. “Nice welcome.” 

“Rain is nice!” Jester insisted. “We can jump in the puddles! And it smells good.” 

“Yeah, until you’re stuck in a dorm with a soaked Fjord,” Beau pointed out. Fjord huffed. “Speaking of, Fjord, you hear if Caleb got in?” 

“Yep, last minute scholarship. Nott too.” Fjord said. “We’re roomies.” 

Beau nodded. “Nice.” 

“Not nice.” Fjord said, grimacing in the rear view mirror. “He’ll have Frumpkin with him.” 

_“Oh.”_

“Mmm-hmm. I’ll have to check in with the headmaster. Not that I wouldn’t love to room with Caleb, but…” 

“Yeah.” 

“B’sides, I’m sure he’ll be wanting to room with Nott. They seem to really depend on each other.” 

Silence fell, only because Jester was currently busy texting someone and snapping pictures of the sea. It was quickly broken by the shrill sound of the tiefling squealing. 

“Look Beau! Dolphins!” 

There was indeed a pod of silvery dolphins visible offshore, playing in the waves that were starting to be whipped up by the storm. Beau rested her head on the window, watching them. She couldn’t wait to get her board out there to try out the waves for herself, whatever Jester might say about the real reason they were headed to Soltryce Academy. 

Honestly, had anyone else but Jester asked her to minor in drama, Beau would have laughed in their face. Still, it could be far worse. She could be inland. And Mollymauk could be -  
“Shit,” Beau said suddenly. “Molly isn’t - “ 

“Yep!” Jester said happily. “He got in with flying colors!” 

_“Of course_ he did. You still have that asshole’s number?” 

“He’s not an asshole, you just don’t like him!” 

Beau sighed. “If I have to room with him and the sea swallows him one day, please pay my bail.” 

She rested her head back on the window, tuning out Jester’s prattling about how Molly was Actually The Best And Coolest Ever, watching the rolling storm clouds out at sea, whipping waves up with wind and rain. There was a strange, wild beauty about them. It made Beau long to grab her board and go out to meet them, despite knowing how dangerous it would be. 

Maybe she was a little wild herself. 

\---

Some miles down the coast, another pair of eyes was watching the same storm, this pair teal and violet rather than bright blue. 

Yasha unfolded her giant body out of Molly’s tiny Beetle, turning her head up as rain streaked her face. The storm was moving in rapidly from the sea; she could hear its winds whipping up the surf against the rocky beach a few hundred yards away. 

“Gotta go tonight?” It wasn’t really a question; Molly already knew. He flashed her an understanding smile. “We’ll get you settled in real quick, then.” 

Yasha nodded in thanks. Molly lead her into the building, where a harried-looking dwarf woman was sitting at the front desk. 

“Mollymauk Tealeaf, Yasha Nyoordin,” Molly said quickly. “Drama majors.” 

The dwarf woman nodded. “Ah, yes. Oh.” She squinted through her thick glasses. “Oh, dear.” 

Yasha narrowed her eyes at her. 

“There’s been a change-around… We’d had one chap rooming with Caleb, but turns out he’s deathly allergic to cats. Oh.” She groaned. “I’m very sorry, Miss Nyoordin, but are you agreeable with taking a three-bunk dorm situation?” 

Yasha sighed. “Not ideal, but I am not picky.”

“Yes, yes, I understand. Molly, you will be rooming with Caleb then. Unless you’ll keel over if you get within a few feet of a cat?” She squinted over her glasses at the purple tiefling.

Molly held up his hands. “No, ma’am. Cats love me. Well, they love Yasha more, she’s - “

“Quieter,” Yasha said with a small smile. 

The dwarf woman handed keys over to Yasha and Molly. “You’ve got prime real estate, you get a nice view of the sea from those dorms and the boat dock’s right there.” 

Yasha nodded. Molly leaned over to give the dwarf a swift peck on her cheek. “Many thanks, ma’am. I am sure we’ll see you around."

Yasha and Molly stopped by Molly’s car to grab their luggage. Yasha wound up with one of Molly’s bags in addition to her own; Molly insisted it would make a good impression on any girls they might run into on the way to their dorms, but Yasha knew he had probably just overpacked. 

“Aha!” Molly said, his tail whipping as he spotted a beat-up Ford pulling into the student parking lot. “Jester wasn’t kidding. Yasha, here’s when you make your good impression.” 

Yasha followed his gaze to where a half-orc man was getting out of the Ford, followed by a blue tiefling, much shorter than Molly, and a human woman getting out of the back. The human stretched, giving Yasha a good view of tan skin and toned abs. It held her attention more than she cared to admit. 

Before she knew it, she heard Molly’s breath knocked out of him by a blur of blue. “Molly! I’ve missed you! Is this Yasha?” Next moment, arms were thrown around her neck, nearly making her drop the various bags she held. She was face-to-face with the blue tiefling, who had a round face full of an enormous smile. “I’m Jester! Molly’s told me so much about you.” 

“Ah - “ Yasha said lamely. “I’m Yasha.” 

“Wow, you really do have different color eyes!” Jester gushed. “That’s SO cool! Were you born with them - ? “ 

“Yes,” Yasha said quickly. It wasn’t quite the truth. 

“Jes,” the half-orc man chastised her gently. He nodded at Yasha. “I would shake your hand, but - “ 

“Oh.” Yasha dropped Molly’s sack on the ground and gave him a firm handshake. 

“I’m Fjord,” he said. “Good to meet you. Heya, Molls.” 

“Good to see you holding in there,” Molly said with a smile. “And I see you brought the Unpleasant One.” 

Molly must have been referring to the final member of the trio, the woman with the nice abs. She seemed to be eying Yasha; whether appreciative of her muscles or sizing her up for a fight, Yasha could not quite tell. Her arms were crossed. 

“Beauregard,” she said by way of introduction. She didn’t look at Molly, instead continuing to eye Yasha with the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen. “Call me Beau.” 

“Ha!” Molly laughed. “I know Yasha’s hot stuff, but what am I, chopped - “ 

Yasha huffed. 

“Fine, fine.” Molly clapped her on the shoulder. “Fjord, I hear you’ve been switched, you’re rooming with me.” 

“You don’t have a cat, right?” Fjord asked warily. 

“Nope!” Molly winked at Yasha and took Fjord by the hand, flustering the poor man. “C’mon, I get dibs on the window.” 

Yasha was left alone with Jester and Beau. She looked at them. “We’d better follow, Molly forgot his bag.” 

“Pretty sure we’re right next door to him anyway,” Beau said, gesturing to her and Jester. “We can take it.” 

“Wait.” Jester peered at Yasha’s key. “Hey! That’s our same number. We’re roomies!” 

“All three of us?” Beau looked less than pleased. 

“It’ll be a big dorm, don’t worry. And we can always share beds!” Jester insisted. She grabbed one of Yasha’s bags, adding it to her own. “Meet us there? We’ve still gotta get our keys.”

Yasha nodded mutely, watching as Jester seized Beau’s hand and skipped away. _Where the hell does she get all that energy?_

She shook her head and made her way more sedately in the direction of the dorm Molly and Fjord had headed off to. It was the closest dorm building to the sea, she noted with satisfaction. 

Yasha could feel the static of the storm building in her veins, the wind calling to her. _Soon._ She had to make sure Jester didn’t run off with her stuff first. 

She found her dorm room - sure enough, she could hear Molly’s familiar voice indistinctly through the next door. She knocked, and when Molly opened it she tossed his bag into his chest. 

“Thanks love!” Molly said, standing on tiptoes to give her a kiss on her forehead.“Missing one?” 

“Jester has it.” 

“Oh, don’t worry, girl hasn’t a dishonest bone in her body. Have fun!” Molly shut the door on her. 

Yasha huffed and opened the door to her own dorm. Fortunately, as Jester had said, it was a large one, suited to multiple roommates. There was one normal bed and one set of bunks, on either side of a sizable window overlooking the beach. Yasha set her stuff down on the single bed, figuring she got there first; she got first dibs. She doubted Jester would mind the bunks; Beau might be another story. 

Fortunately, when they got there, Beau only seemed slightly miffed at the arrangement. “She kicks in her sleep,” she muttered as an aside to Yasha as she followed Jester into the dorm. “Anything but sharing a bed with her is fine by me.” 

Yasha chuckled, watching with crossed arms as Beau tossed their stuff on the bunks and Jester investigated the living arrangement.

“Here.” Beau tossed her the bag that Jester had taken. “Sorry if she worried you, Jester means well…”

“No offense taken.” Yasha said. “She seems… sweet.” 

“I don’t know where she gets the energy, to be frank. I get tired watching her.” Beau was watching her examine the kitchen anyway. 

“You two've known each other for a long time?” Yasha asked. 

“Mhm. Grew up together, went to school together. Fjord too. We went to high school with Molly, Caleb, and Nott. Caleb and Nott were a couple years ahead of us.” Beau looked at Yasha curiously. “I don’t remember you, though. Where you from?” 

“Oh -” Yasha hesitated. “Uh - the south. Molly and I have been long distance friends for some time, I had to… get away, so I… came here.” 

Beau seemed to notice she’d hit a sensitive spot. She held up her hands. “Hey, your business. I don’t mean to pry. Just curious.” 

Yasha nodded. She could feel the calling growing insistent now, along with her desire to avoid any further awkward questions. “Listen, I need to… go into town, alright? I might not be back tonight.” 

“Okay. If Jester tries to call a search party, I’ll stop her.” Beau winked. 

“Thanks.” Yasha whipped her long hair over her shoulder, avoiding Beau’s eyes. They looked so much like the sky, or like a calm sea. “I’ll, uh, be back.” 

“We’ll be here.” 

Yasha toed her boots back on and left the warm dorm for the wild coolness of the storm, now properly underway.

Fortunately, they were a few days ahead of most of the other students, so the place was still fairly empty. Yasha walked towards the beach, eyeing the windows she knew were to Beau and Jester’s rooms. Molly she knew would cover for her, should Fjord try to look. She then turned her gaze to the beach, looking for anywhere she could hide from sight. 

There was a rocky outcropping a little ways down. Yasha broke into a trot, making her way to the rocks, the largest of which she ducked behind and stripped down to nothing but the metal symbol she wore as a necklace, leaving her clothes in a bag at the other side of the rocks, where hopefully the storm surf would not whip them away. She slipped down the rocks until the sea lapped at her bare feet, whispering to her in a language she no longer understood. The moment she touched the sea, her pendant glowed bright silver, and she felt scales start to creep up her leg. 

She sat on the very last rock, her legs immersed, as the Stormlord’s magic worked. Her legs melded together; flattened, flowed into a long, broad, powerful tail covered in stormy silver scales. She flicked it when the magic had run its course, spraying her face with droplets of seawater. 

Yasha gave a wild laugh to the storm and dove into the sea.


	2. Coffee and a Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beau being a disaster lesbian for 2000 - some words.

Beau shifted uncomfortably in her seat next to Jester, fidgeting with the knot in her loose-fitting tanktop. A white-scaled dragonborn (whom Jester had informed her in a whisper was her friend Rai) was currently auditioning, her long crocodile-like tail lashing so much Beau was half worried the girl would knock over some expensive equipment. Other than that, though, her audition seemed to be going well. Beau hoped for the crew’s sake she was kept away from delicate stage props.

Unbidden, Beau’s mind drifted to Yasha. When she’d woken up that morning, her roommate’s bed had still been empty. It had been three days now. For some reason she could not shake the feeling that her absence was somehow linked to the storm; something about how she had kept sneaking glances outside when they had been talking. Maybe she liked risking pneumonia in the cold sea storm rain. It wasn’t like Beau was _worried,_ of course. Someone like Yasha could clearly take care of herself. 

Alright, maybe Beau _was_ worried a little bit on Yasha’s behalf. These were preliminary auditions, scouting really, their chances to make good impressions and secure a good role, and she was missing them. Beau couldn’t help but glance every so often at the door, hoping to see a glimpse of Yasha trying to slip in. 

“That will be all from you,” the drama professor, Shakaste, intoned as Rai drew to the end of her singing demonstration. “Thank you, Miss - “ The professor’s strange hummingbird familiar twittered in his ear. “Miss Kuareliak. Next - “ More twittering. “Miss Lavorre!” 

Jester gave an excited squeal and jumped to her feet, her tail predictably smacking Beau in the shoulder. Beau winked at her, patting her shoulder for good luck. 

As Jester launched into the speaking part of her audition, her lovely accent making even the melodramatic passage from Romeo and Juliet she’d chosen almost bearable for Beau to listen to, the door to the auditorium finally opened. Beau immediately turned her head to see Yasha, dressed in much more well-kept clothes than the ones she’d last seen her in, make her way in. Her odd eyes found Beau’s in the crowd, and she began to make her way towards her. Beau was immediately very grateful that Jester had thought to insist on saving a seat for her. 

Beau moved over so that Yasha could sit next to her, Molly on her other side. 

“Am I late?” Beau heard Yasha whisper to Molly. 

“Fashionably,” Molly assured her. 

“Actually, you’re right on time, I go after Jester and you’re a couple letters after us, right? Nydoorin?” Beau butted in. Molly narrowed his somewhat unsettling crimson eyes at her, but did so with his characteristic cocky grin. 

Yasha looked between her roommate and her oldest friend. “Uhh… Yeah.” 

Beau stuck her tongue out childishly at Molly and turned her attention back to Jester. She’d begun her singing; she was a little rough, a little unrefined, but her voice was sweet and gained strength the more she sang. And, of course, she sang with all the earnestness of a little kid watching Disney. Looking between Jester and Yasha, Beau began to wish she’d thought of wearing something a little more… professional. 

Then again, she wasn’t sure she’d _brought_ anything more professional. 

\---

“Well, I don’t think that went too poorly…” 

“Poorly? You were wonderful Beau! Your voice is… sexy.”

“Jester!” Beau looked around the coffee shop they sat in nursing drinks. It was fairly packed, much to her chagrin. 

“What? It was!” Jester lowered her voice mischievously. “Almost as sexy as Yasha’s.” 

Beau narrowed her eyes, but she couldn’t deny that Jester was right. Both Yasha’s speaking and singing auditions had had her squirming in her seat, and she knew whose voice she would hear in her head the next time she… had some alone time. She quickly took a sip of her bitter, black coffee to cover up the awkward moment. 

Jester preened, taking a bite of the pastry she’d ordered along with her tall, sugary frappuccino. Beau really didn’t understand how the tiefling didn’t have like a hundred cavities by now. “I’m not wrong, am I?” 

“Leave it, Jes.” Beau said. “Yes, Yasha is hot. No, I’m not asking her out!” 

“Why not?” 

“We just met! We’re roommates! I barely know her!” 

“We’re roommates, Beau.”

“Yes, but you’re like…” Beau flailed her hand about a little. “You’re like my sister, it’s different.” 

“Oh, so you wouldn’t fuck me?” Jester pouted a little. 

“I mean, if you wanted…” Beau sighed. “Not the point. My point is, I don’t want to date her, have it inevitably go bad, and have to share a dorm with an angry ex-girlfriend for the next few years.” 

Jester paused. “Fair point.” She sipped her coffee. “If she tried anything, I’d beat her up for you.” 

“I can beat people up just fine myself, thank you!” 

“Do you have these guns?” Jester flexed her considerably toned biceps, smirking. 

“I have guns! Just, not… arm guns. I have ab guns. Besides, Jester, I love you, but do you really think you could take on Yasha? Girl must be a long-lost Amazon queen or something.” 

Jester huffed. “I’m sure I can.” 

“We’ll have to arrange a match or something, because I wanna see that.” Beau looked around the cafe. “Anyway, it won’t come to that.” 

“Have you seen Caleb and Nott around anywhere?” Jester asked in a surprising change of subject. “I’ve really missed them.” 

“Not yet.” Beau shrugged. “Don’t you still have their numbers?” 

“I never got Nott’s, and Caleb isn’t responding. Maybe his phone died again.” Jester checked her own phone. “Molly said he, Fjord, and Yasha would meet us here five minutes ago. I wanted to ask Yasha where she’s been.”

“She seemed to want to keep it pretty close to her chest the last time I talked to her,” Beau said. 

“Maybe she just didn’t want to tell you,” Jester said.

Before Beau could open her mouth to ask what the fuck she meant by that, Jester had jumped up on her knees on her chair and was leaning forward waving madly over Beau’s head in the direction of the door. “CALEB! NOTT! OVER HERE!” 

Beau twisted, and sure enough she recognized the kid from her fourth-period high school chem class, except now he was slightly more hunched, and the coat he still wore was even more tattered than it had been. She couldn’t see through the crowd, but she could assume that Nott was at his side. 

Caleb, looking a little miffed at being spotted, made his way over. “Hello,” he said in his low-toned Zemnian accent. “Jester, Beau.” 

Jester, of course, immediately jumped up and threw her arms around him. “It’s been so long! You didn’t answer any of my texts, I wanted to invite you here for coffee!” 

“Well, I’m here now, aren’t I?” Caleb said, sounding slightly strangled. 

Beau felt a plucking at her bag and looked down to see Nott rifling through her bag. She snatched it away quickly, though she didn’t have anything in it more valuable than her books for drama and health/fitness class, since she always kept her phone in her pocket for this very damn reason. “Hello to you too, Nott.” 

“Oh!” Nott seemed surprised at being noticed looking through Beau’s bag. While it was still around her shoulders. And they were in a crowded coffee shop. “Sorry…” 

Next moment Nott too was swept up in Jester’s embrace. “Nott! It’s been too long! I never got your number!” 

“Fjord filled me in on the switch around with our rooms,” Caleb said. “And he told me you all were meeting here, but that he wanted to go into to town and see the docks there for some reason.” 

“Awww.” Jester looked disappointed. “That still leaves Molly and Yasha unaccounted for.” She gasped. “Maybe Yasha whisked him away in the storm!” 

“Not yet,” a familiar voice drawled in Beau’s ear. She turned her head to see Molly with Yasha by his side, who towered over the tall-ish tiefling like a fucking stone statue in a museum or something. Yasha had changed into a black muscle tank after the audition; Beau felt her mouth go dry as her eyes fell on her biceps. 

They were _works of art._

“Ah - oh - hi, Yasha,” Beau stammered.

“I can’t stay long, I have wrestling practice at two.” Yasha said. “But Molly said you wanted to get coffee?” 

“Coffee on me, my dear?” Molly said, patting her shoulder. He looked at Caleb. “I do not think I’ve made your acquaintance?” 

“Caleb - Molly, Molly - Caleb,” Jester said quickly, gesturing between them. “Nott, Molly. And Yasha, Nott and Caleb. There!” She took a long swig of coffee. 

“Pleasure meeting you,” Molly said. 

“Mine as well.” Yasha said, pulling over chairs for herself, Molly, Caleb, and Nott. 

“What do you want?” Molly asked Yasha. 

“Coffee, black. A little sugar.” Yasha sat down next to Beau. Beau felt something in her brain short circuit. 

“That’s uh, what I order too.” 

“Yes,” Yasha said in a very droll voice. “It’s quite a common order, actually. I think.” 

Dammit Beau! Beau re-circuited her mind as fast as she could. It was not an easy task.

“I’m fine, Caleb.” Nott said in her high, squeaky voice, waving a silver flask. Quickly, Beau reached over and pushed it out of sight. 

“Best not to wave that around, you don’t know how hard-ass the professors are. It’s stupid.” 

“Oh. Alright.” Nott took a sip out of the flask and tucked it away somewhere. 

As Molly and Caleb went to order, Jester leaned over the table in Yasha’s direction. “Sooooo, where have you been, Yasha? You almost missed your first audition!” 

“Jes.” Beau groaned softly.

Yasha met her gaze calmly. “I’ve been in town, looking around for jobs.” 

“For three days?” 

“It’s a large town.” 

“...Not really.” Jester raised an eyebrow. “Besides, most people now do that online.” 

“I prefer to go in person. Make a good impression.” 

If said potential boss were a lesbian who had good taste, Beau had to agree Yasha would make a very good impression. In her… very professional opinion.

“Where did you sleep?” 

“In Molly’s car. He leant it to me if I looked for jobs for him too.”

Jester narrowed her eyes. “Molly’s car never left the campus, I would have noticed it missing. It’s very distinctive.” 

“Jester, oh my god, it’s none of our business.” Beau said in exasperation. 

“It’s a magic car,” Molly said, coming back over and sliding a coffee cup to Yasha. “It can be in two places at once.” 

Jester gasped. “Really?” 

“Really. Maybe I’ll teach you the spell sometime,” Molly offered, taking a sip of his own coffee. 

“What’s going on?” Caleb asked, sitting down on Molly’s other side. 

“We’re trying to figure out where Yasha went,” Jester said. 

“I just told you.” Yasha pointed out. 

“And it’s none of our business, Jester.” Beau said pointedly. 

Jester gave a dejected little sigh. “You all are no fun.” 

Molly leaned in and planted his hand in the middle of the table. “I hear the first mixer of the school year’s happening this weekend.” 

Glad of the change of subject, Beau eyed the purple tiefling with interest. “Yeah? Who’s putting it on?” 

“Rai Kuareliak, that dragonborn who almost levelled the stage this morning. Hear she’s got a real thing for drinking and karaoke. Sounds to be a good time.” 

“Alriiiight.” Beau drawled, sitting back. She wasn’t much one for karaoke, but drinking was right up her alley. “I’ve got nothing lined up.” 

“I thought you had a first aid quiz on monday you need to study for?” Jester said. 

“I said, I have nothing lined up for that night.” 

Jester huffed. Beau ignored her and looked at Yasha.

“What do you think? You like parties?” 

Yasha quirked an eyebrow. “Didn’t have too many where I come from.” 

“Oh, we’ll take good care of you, you’ll love it dear.” Molly assured her. Yasha looked slightly unconvinced. 

Beau knocked back the last of her drink. “Right. I was wanting to see if I could catch a few waves before my health and fitness class, so I’d better go get dressed down. Nice chatting.” 

She turned to get up, but somehow her foot got stuck on something - a bag strap, a chair leg, fuck if she knew - and down she went. She felt her forehead connect with the table next to them, and she fell to the ground, her head and her foot both throbbing and feeling more than a little dazed. 

“Beau!” Jester gasped. She was up and by Beau’s side in an instant. Beau also heard more than saw Yasha scoot her chair back and crouch on Beau’s other side. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine Jes, I just hit my head.” 

She felt a cool hand, much larger than Jester’s, press to her forehead. “That’s gonna be a nasty bruise.” 

“And your ankle might be twisted.” Jester added, gently moving Beau’s ankle. Beau didn’t whimper, but her sharp intake of breath gave away her pain anyway. “I can heal that bruise, but I think this ankle will need some setting and resting. We’ll need to get you back to the dorm.” 

Beau felt Yasha’s strong arm under her shoulder, helping her get up. Damn, if this wasn’t the stupidest way she had ever injured herself. And in front of Yasha, no less. Fuck.  


She could hear Molly snickering, but Yasha shot him a look and he shut up. When Beau tried to put weight on her foot, though, pain shot through her leg. “Ow. Owowowow. Fuck.”  


Beau laid her head back against Yasha’s shoulder and gave her her best bedroom eyes. “Could you carry me back to the dorm? Pretty please?” 

For a moment Beau thought Yasha might just step back and let her whiny ass fall back to the floor, but a smirk curled her lips instead. “Five bucks.”

“Five bucks!” Beau stuck out her tongue.

“These arms are worth a lot.” 

Beau… had to agree. She pulled a crumpled five-dollar bill out of her jean pocket and slipped it into Yasha’s. 

Yasha chuckled deep in her chest and swung Beau into her arms, bridal style, being very careful of her ankle. Her arms were strong but so soft, Beau felt like she had died and ascended to heaven. She smelled nice too - wild, like the sea. 

“You big baby.” Yasha said quietly, and turned towards the door, carefully navigating them through the thinning but still considerable crowd of college students. 

Beau looked around Yasha’s arm to where Jester was following them, a huge shit-eating grin on her face. Beau flipped her the bird. 

\---

Yasha gently set Beau on her bed - hers, not Beau’s bunk, it was easier that way. Beau looked vaguely disappointed that her time in Yasha’s arms was already over, but it didn’t escape her eyes as she sat up. Jester appeared at Beau’s side, her hand and the symbol she wore at her waist glowing. 

“Alright, Beau, let’s get that bruise gone. Yasha, if you go in the kitchen, you should be able to find Beau’s first aid kit, could you grab that and some ice from the kitchen?” 

“Beau’s?” Yasha asked curiously. “Aren’t you minoring in nursing?” 

A pause. _“SHIT!”_

Yasha chuckled quietly as she fetched the kit and ice. She brought both, along with a water bottle with Beau’s name scrawled in Sharpie on it, back to the bedroom.

“It’s okay Jester, you can have mine, I’ll buy another.” Beau offered.

“No no, it’s alright, I was gonna go into town anyway.” Jester was prodding Beau’s ankle, gently moving it around. Beau made no sound, but Yasha could see her face wince in pain every time she did. 

“It’s twisted, or maybe sprained. Geez. I didn’t think you could do that on a bag strap.” 

“I found a way.” Beau half wheezed. “Damn. I really was wanting to catch some waves today.” 

“Once your ankle is all better.” Jester took the ice and some bandages out of the first aid kit and affixed it to Beau’s ankle. “That’ll help the swelling.” 

“Will I make it doc?” Beau asked melodramatically. 

“You’ll be fine, cleric’s word, you silly.” Jester patted her kneecap. “Just don’t tangle with any more bag straps, okay?” 

“I’ll try.” Beau met Yasha’s gaze and smirked a bit. It might have been her version of a smile. “Thanks, Yasha, for the ride back.”

Yasha felt something in her soften towards the brash woman. “No problem.” 

Shit. Shit shit shit _shit._

Yasha stood up and went over to Jester’s other side, then leaned over and tucked Beau’s five dollar bill back into her pocket. Along with a small slip of paper with her phone number scrawled on it. Just in case.

Then she fled the dorm, looking for Molly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please ignore me being unable to remember where the "d" in Yasha's surname is. 
> 
> also hey I found caleb and nott where tf were they last chapter


	3. Catching a Wave (and the eye of a certain someone...)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yasha has nothing better to do than spot for Beau while she catches some waves, and remembering some things of her past.

Yasha stepped out of the dorm building and simply stood for a moment, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her cheek. It was still the part of the school year when it felt just like summer, making being cooped up inside nearly unbearable. There was some part of Yasha that was still wild, that remembered days like this spent frolicking on the surface with the dolphins and - 

“Hey!” 

Yasha blinked. Someone else had emerged from the dorms next to her, clad only in a cobalt and turquoise bikini that exposed exquisitely sculpted abs and biceps. When she finally tore her eyes away from them, she was met with a smirk and bright blue eyes. 

“Yasha! Off to town to seek fortune?” Beau teased. She shifted the surfboard she held under one arm to nudge its nose into the ground so that it stood up, taller than she was.

“Uh - no, no, I’m waiting to hear back from the jobs I found, if that’s what you mean.” Yasha stammered. “What are you doing? I thought Jester put you on bedrest.” 

“She’s off bugging Caleb and Nott right now, and my ankle barely hurts. See?” Beau took a few steps, and she was mostly sound. Yasha thought she was still favoring her hurt ankle a little, but it was minor. “As to what I’m doing, I’m gonna catch a few waves while the sun shines. What about you?”

Yasha shrugged.

“You got nothing better than to do than worry about my well being, you wanna spot for me?” Beau asked with a cocky grin. 

“Spot?” 

“You wrestle right?”

“...Yes?” 

“So if a shark tries to eat my ass, you swim out and punch it.” 

Yasha furrowed her brow slightly. She’d never tried to swim without her tail. She couldn’t change at will, only with the Stormlord’s magic, and that only worked when it was, well, storming. To tell the truth, she wasn’t sure how humans managed it with such weak legs and no fins. 

She said none of this, only muttering, “I never learned how to swim.” 

“Oh.” Beau looked surprised. “Well… I can teach you sometime, if you’d like.” 

“...I’d like that.” 

“Right.” Beau shaded her eyes with her hand, gazing out to sea. “There’s some good ones whipping up, I’d better go catch them.” 

“I’d still like to watch,” Yasha said. 

Beau looked at her, real surprised this time. “Really?” 

“Sure. I’ve never…” Never what? Seen someone surf? That sounded dumb even to Yasha. Eventually, she just shrugged. “I’ve nothing better to do.” 

“Fair enough.” Beau took off at a brisk pace towards the beach, ignoring the rocks Yasha had used to transform the other night and instead jogged into the surf, plonking her surfboard down when it was up to her knees. Yasha settled herself down in the soft sand, watching as Beau paddled out deeper and deeper over swells of the sea. She couldn’t quell a certain anxiety; she reminded herself that she knew from last storm-time that the sea here was deep, the only rocks being there on the beach where she had transformed. So long as she kept away from there, she would be fine. And surely she was a strong swimmer, for a human, to attempt something like this. 

Besides that, Yasha got a nice view of her butt when she was paddling away from her. 

Beau kept paddling out until the waves started breaking over her head. Yasha shaded her eyes, starting to wish she’d brought sunglasses or a wide-brimmed hat. She watched as Beau started to dive under the waves before they broke over her. 

Finally, when Beau was too far out for Yasha to make out more detail than her brown skin against the blue of the waves, she stopped, seemingly waiting for something. She sat back on her board and glanced back at Yasha, waving at her when she saw her still there watching. Yasha waved back with a smile, feeling a slight warming of her cheeks. 

_Quit it, Nydoorin._ She was her roommate, nothing more. 

Yasha sensed it before she saw it, maybe even before Beau saw it. The sea swelled with great energy far out, a wave unfurling from the depths. 

As she watched, Beau started to paddle parallel to the wave, faster and faster as the wave grew. At its apex, she saw Beau stand up on her board, more sure footed than Yasha could imagine being. 

She surfed along the belly of the wave; as it crested Yasha lost sight of her in the tube of seawater. Then she reappeared, whooping. 

A few seconds that felt like hours later, the wave crashed onto the sand and surged around Yasha. With it, the sea brought a beaming Beau. 

“Did you see that? They weren’t kidding about the waves around here! I was right in the tube!” Beau grinned and punched Yasha affectionately in the shoulder. 

Her eyes widened at the gesture, but Beau, judging from how she was wringing her hand, was far more hurt by the solid muscle that made up Yasha’s arm than she had been from the punch. “Ow. Sorry. Got a little overexcited.” 

Yasha chuckled. “Your hand alright?” 

“Yeah… Just bruised.” Beau winced. “Your arms felt a lot softer when I was in them…” 

Yasha felt her cheeks flush traitorously. She saw a similar darker tinge come to Beau’s face.

“I mean! It was really nice! R-Really good! It was nice of you to carry me back...” 

“Uh, yeah, well, didn’t want Jester harping on me if you walked back and tripped over another bag.” Yasha said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. “Do you make a habit of that?” 

“No! Uh - I’m gonna go catch another wave BYE!” 

Beau dove back into the surf. Despite her embarrassment, Yasha smiled fondly watching her paddle back out to sea. 

Deep down, she felt a small twinge of sadness. She had known this feeling before. 

_Zuala, forgive me… Please…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shorter chapter, I kinda wanted to just end on that name drop for The Drama. I'll try and update again soon, maybe with that party at Rai's that Molly mentioned.


	4. Parties Suck When You're A Socially Anxious Part Time Mermaid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yasha goes to a party and decides human parties fucking suck.

It took Yasha all of about thirty seconds to decide that she loathed human parties. 

The rec room was crowded with people, and loud with pumping music and poorly-sung lyrics. She caught sight of a very displeased looking dragonborn: Rai, shouting at whoever was singing to get off the stage already, her ears were about to start bleeding. 

“Your kind enjoy these gatherings?” Yasha muttered to Mollymauk by her side. 

Molly shrugged. “There’s booze.” 

“I’m gonna need some.” Yasha sighed, looking over the crowd. She felt Molly pluck at the sleeve of her shirt and tug her towards a table of various alcoholic drinks. 

Her clan had had similar meetings - without the booze, but with songs, feasting and dancing among the waves. They had been more pleasant than her current surroundings, being to facilitate clan bonds and celebrate special occasions like births, but even back then Yasha had always been inclined to sneak out alone or with Zuala instead. She loved Molly dearly, but he wasn’t _her._

“Yaaashaaa!” 

Yasha heard the cheery voice of Jester before she spotted the little blue tiefling waving from a nearby table. Fjord was next to her; he waved as well with an apologetic grin. Yasha grabbed a plastic cup of something boozy and went over to them. 

“Hey,” she said. “Er… whatcha drinking?”

“Oh, I don’t drink,” Jester said with her usual earnestness.

“Neither am I, I’m the designated driver.” Fjord added. 

“If Jester isn’t drinking anyway, why doesn’t she drive?” Molly asked, plopping down on the pair’s other side. 

“Oh trust me, you do not wanna see Jester drive.” Fjord said with a grimace. 

“Where are Caleb, Nott, and Beauregard?” Yasha asked.

“Caleb didn’t come, he said he had some studying to do and that he doesn’t like a lot of noise or alcohol. Nott likes alcohol, but she probably stayed with him. Beau is…” Fjord craned his neck a little bit to see. “Beau is over there, with Keg.” 

Yasha looked where Fjord was gesturing. She saw Beau in a muscle tank and shorts, locked in an arm wrestling competition with a dwarf woman that Yasha had seen about the campus, but not spoken to. Beau’s tank top showed off her powerful biceps as she held her own against the similarly well-muscled Keg. 

Yasha wandered over to the table to watch. She was just curious who was the stronger of the two, she told herself. 

Beau must have noticed her, because her bright blue eyes flickered to Yasha for a heartbeat, but her focus did not slip. Keg cackled. 

“Ready to give up, surfer girl?” she said with a grin. 

 

“No -” Beau grunted. She gave an extra push and a groan, and slowly but surely she pushed Keg’s hand to the table. 

With a triumphant shout, Beau slammed Keg’s hand to the table and sprung to her feet, grabbing a cup from Keg’s side and downing it all in one go. “HA!” 

“Motherfucker.” Keg gave Beau a grumpy look, rubbing her hand. Then she looked at Yasha. “Ya just had to come along and give her extra steam, huh?”

“I simply came over to watch,” Yasha said calmly. 

“Yeah, but Beau always performs better under a pretty girl’s eye.” Keg said. She shrugged and grinned. “But ya got me good, I suppose.”

“Loser goes and gets more drinks.” Beau slapped the table. 

“Right, right.” Keg got up and made for the table of booze. 

“Hey Yash! Sit down a minute, you just get here?” Beau’s words were already slurring a little, and judging from her use of a nickname Yasha guessed her inhibitions were similarly compromised. She sat anyway, sipping from her own cup. It was strong and unpleasant tasting, making her wrinkle her nose. 

“Yes, I arrived with Molly.”

“That prick.” Beau’s voice had no venom in it, though. 

Yasha let her statement sit between them, fiddling with her cup without drinking from it. She was already contemplating asking Molly to drive her back to the dorm and possibly spending some of the night on the beach, alone with only the waves breaking the silence. Human noise, light, and alcohol were not meant for her.

But still, she sat with Beauregard. She gazed over the table at her, at the muscle top with “SLEEVES ARE BULLSHIT” emblazoned on it. Her topknot was messy and falling out of her bun, her dark tan skin shining with sweat under the pounding fluorescent lights; either from the drinking or possibly she had already been dancing. Yasha felt a bit of sadness at the thought of Beau dancing with Keg, or any of the other random people in attendance. Sure, she would probably dislike human dancing.

Maybe it would be a little better with Beau. 

Beau noticed Yasha looking at her. “Like what you see?” she asked with a cocky grin, flexing the arm that wasn’t holding her cup. Yasha dropped her gaze to her hands immediately. 

“Erm… I was just thinking… I have never danced with somebody before.” 

“Really? Never went to a prom in high school?” Beau asked. Yasha shook her head. “Yeah, I stayed home from most of those too. Waste of time and money.” 

Beauregard stood up, a little wobbly, and held out a hand to Yasha. “Might I have this dance?” 

Yasha hesitated, then put her hand in Beau’s. There was nothing inherently romantic or sexual about dancing, right? Sure, the mermaids had their courtship dances, she remembered her dance with Zuala well, but they also had dances for births, and deaths, and all manners of joys and sorrows. 

_I simply wish to experience what humans call dancing._

“Hey, Rai!” Beau yanked on Rai’s shirt to get the dragonborn’s attention. “Could ya get something good on?” 

“Sure!” Rai hopped up on the stage and pushed the latest horrible karaoke singer off the stage, then took the until then empty DJ’s seat. “Aaaaalright, Soltryce Academy! At request of a lovely couple, I’m ending karaoke early and starting up some real music!” 

Yasha spluttered, a little taken aback at “lovely couple”, but there was no time to do anything before she was crushed in the crowd of people that swarmed the dance floor. She was shoved against Beau as an upbeat song started. 

Yasha’s eyes were wide as she felt Beau’s arms loop around her waist and pull her even closer. At least this gave them a little breathing room, but Yasha was suddenly acutely aware of her sheer size compared to her peers, and her desire to run and beg Molly to take her back to the beach grew. She couldn’t even enjoy the feeling of Beau against her. 

_This is not dancing._  


“Yasha, you okay?” Yasha saw Beau’s bright blue eyes on her, set aglow by the multicolored lights that surrounded them. 

“N - I am sorry, I must go.” 

Yasha turned and shoved her way out of the crowd, ignoring Beau’s cries of “Yasha! Wait!” from behind her. It occurred to her that Molly was probably somewhere in the crush of bodies rather than waiting back on the sofa, so she was relieved when she spotted the purple tiefling grinding on some handsome guy she didn’t recognize. She grabbed Molly’s arm and dragged him out of the crowd with her. 

“Yaaaasha! I was having f - “ Molly started to whine, but cut off when he saw the look on her face. “You need to go, love?” 

Yasha nodded mutely, twisting her finger in her shirt subconsciously. 

“Okay.” Molly looped his arm through hers and led her out of the rec room’s throbbing noise, into the cool night. She could still hear the pumping music, but it was muffled, and the sea air combined with the sight of the stars stretching over her head calmed Yasha greatly. 

At Yasha’s questioning look, he squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I didn’t drink too much. I figured you would, so I was prepared to drive back.” 

“I didn’t. Party alcohol nasty.” Yasha managed to get out. 

“Understandable. We’ll get some of the good stuff.” 

Yasha sat down in the passenger seat of his Beetle and, in spite of herself, cast a gaze back at the party. She half expected to see Beau still following her, but she saw no sign of her. She bit her lip, bitter disappointment settling in her chest.

_I’m sorry._

Yasha wasn’t sure anymore who she was apologizing to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I will get all of the Mighty Nein together in a chapter eventually. I just can't see Caleb or Nott being the type to even bother with a party. 
> 
> also fun fact I almost uploaded this last night but i accidentally closed the tab so I told myself I'd go and edit it and upload it tomorrow (now today). ... I didn't edit it, sorry, im a gay mess.

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone is their original race, with the exemption of Yasha, who is, obviously, a mermaid. She'll retain her Aasimar powers though, they're just mermaid powers now. I'll have to think about how to incorporate Rage. Or how she'd fight underwater. 
> 
> Caduceus may show up at some point, I'm just not far enough in the campaign to have met him. 
> 
> Speaking of, I'm... not that far in the campaign, so I apologize if I get some things wrong. I also have never been to college. Really I'm not 100% sure what the fuck i'm doing, so please bear with me. 
> 
> also, I may or may not have snuck my own D&D character in here. Hope yall don't mind. I love my girl.


End file.
